Carbon tax axe comes at cost

Carbon tax axe comes at cost - The West Australian

The carbon tax will die today but not before the Federal Government is forced to retain another piece of key clean energy architecture.

After almost five years of fighting an emissions trading scheme and the carbon tax, Tony Abbott is expected to get the support of the Palmer United Party and several crossbench senators to end the impost.

While the tax will go, pieces of administrative infrastructure including the Climate Change Authority are likely to survive.

Another authority was saved yesterday when L-plate senator Ricky Muir of the Motoring Enthusiast Party secured support from PUP to keep the Australian Renewable Energy Agency alive.

Senator Muir told _The West Australian _ that he was keen to promote clean energy and, in an echo of former WA Liberal MP Wilson Tuckey, said he wanted to see a lot more research and investment in exploiting wave and tidal power.

"For many years, I have had clean energy at the back of my mind and it's now very much at the front of my mind," Senator Muir said. "One of the things I am really interested in is tidal energy, utilising the ocean's power - and for ARENA to be there to support such projects is a very good thing."